Pillow Talk
by anzafire
Summary: Post-Episode one-shot collection featuring Mary Margaret/Emma bonding.  Post- Red Handed; Red and Snow escape the mountain side while Mary Margaret figures out why Emma is so upset at having an overnight guest.
1. Chapter 1

**Pillow Talk**

**Rating**: T (brief language)

**Summary**: Post-Episode one-shot collection featuring Mary Margaret/Emma bonding.  
><em>True North<em>; Emma wonders why people couldn't have taken the time with her like she did for Ava and Nicholas.

**Note**: This is a bit similar to my previous MM/E bonding fic, _Threads_. But that's because I essentially called the emotions/actions from the two of them in _True Nort_h back in November. And since this is a follow-up to episode nine, there may be a few comparisons. These one-shots will be dialogue heavy.

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><p>After driving Henry home and hugging him goodnight, Emma spent another half hour in her sheriff's car, listening to the sounds of the night before returning back to Mary Margaret's apartment. She wanted to avoid any further conversation with the woman for the evening; her comment about their similar facial features having been too much for her overburdened mind to deal with.<p>

Before she headed in, she made a phone call to the man she'd convinced just hours before to start a family with twelve-year-old twins. "Mr. Tillman? It's Emma...just...making sure everything went okay?"

There was a relieved sigh on the other end of the phone. "Yeah...actually. The kids just went to bed. We had a long talk that we'll probably continue over the next few weeks while...we figure all this out...but...I had them sleep in my bed for tonight, I'll take the couch until we get them some proper furniture...I'm still not sure if I'm ready for this but..."

"It'll take time," Emma said softly. "You'll adjust and eventually...it'll be like you've always been together. If you need anything, you know how to get ahold of me...I'll do whatever I can to help."

"Thank you," Michael replied. "And I hope it's okay, but we were talking about different things we could do together...and Ava asked if she could come see you and Mary Margaret sometimes to have...girl time or whatever, and I told her that would probably be fine."

Emma laughed, "Of course. Tell her if she ever needs anything or has any...questions...she can always come to me. Or Mary Margaret." She frowned, if she'd had a female influence at Ava's age, she might not have wound up in as many fist fights as she had. "But, I'll let you go, Mr. Tillman. Call if you need anything."

After hanging up, Emma leaned her head back against her seat, the smile still on her face. In the short time she'd been in Storybrooke, she'd changed the lives of at least four young people; Henry, Ashley, Ava, and Nicholas. Nothing she'd done had taken drastic effort or prompting. It was all just the right thing to do; things decent human beings do.

Why couldn't anyone have been decent for her?

Turning the key in the lock after eyeing the clock and hoping Mary Margaret was sleeping, Emma paused in the doorway to find a piece of paper tapped to the counter. Her eyes gazed to the left and she noted Mary Margaret's drapes were drawn and her light was off; indicating she was at least feigning sleep. With a hard swallow, Emma's eyes strained in the darkness to read what she'd been left.

"_Emma—_

_There's caesar salad for you in the refrigerator. And chocolate cake from the kids! _

_You seemed quite distraught when you left. I hope I didn't upset you when I said you have my chin. I should have been more sensitive to the fact that you've probably spent your whole life wondering what your mom and dad might look like. I'm so sorry it's taken you so long; and I know you might want to give up — but don't. They're out there somewhere. If there's ever anything I can do to help you, please let me know._

_If you want to talk, about **anything**, please wake me up!_

_-M_"

Emma smirked as she placed it facedown, trying not to imagine the -_M_ at the bottom of the page standing for _Mom_. Mary Margaret was so brutally honest sometimes, she was hard to take.

With a silent heave of her shoulders, Emma removed the dinner her roommate had left, quickly scarfing down the lettuce before moving onto more than a fair helping of cake, letting the chocolate dull her feelings.

After piling the dishes in the sink; not wanting to create too much commotion, the sheriff brushed her teeth and ascended the staircase, where her stack of clothes Mary Margaret had folded earlier was neatly on her bed; which was also made by the teacher. "Goodness sakes," She mumbled under her breath as she pulled out pajama pants and shifted the pile to a chest of drawers. If Mary Margaret didn't stop acting like her mother, she was going to start actually believing it.

She pulled back the quilt and prepared to slide in, before realizing she'd left her baby blanket on the main floor. While it usually sat on a chair or in a box, if there was ever a night she needed the security device, it was this one.

Tip-toeing down the stairs and hugging the cream blanket close to her chest, Emma stared at the curtains in Mary Margaret's doorway. The woman had said to wake her up so they could talk; but in Emma's experience, such language was a mere formality for _leave me the fuck alone I want to sleep_. She didn't even know what she wanted to talk about...yet her body moved of it's own accord, parting the sheer white material. She paused, leaning against the wall as she held her blanket at her side, observing the potential Snow White laying on her side, away from Emma, presumably sound asleep. Deciding whatever ramblings she would muster could wait until morning, the blonde turned to leave —

"You can come in," A soft, sing-song voice registered from the bed, causing Emma to stop in her tracks and whip around. Mary Margaret sat up slightly, moving a pillow against the headboard. Emma gave her a questioning look as she padded across the floorboards and set herself down on the edge of the bed. "_My_ superpower is knowing when people are staring at me," Mary Margaret said with a knowing smirk. "Now, what's on your mind?"

"I-I don't...I..." She struggled to find words as she stared at her first worldly possession. "I'm just..." She bit her lip, feeling a strong need to cry; but she wouldn't. Not in front of her roommate. "I don't know."

Mary Margaret sat up a little taller, spreading her hands over the comforter, resisting a pull to embrace the woman sitting next to her. "Is it what I said earlier? I'm sorry, Emma, I didn't mean—"

"No," The taller sighed, shaking her head. "It's not that. You...didn't upset me...this whole...situation..."

There was a moment of silence as Mary Margaret slid to her left, making more room for Emma, who twisted to face her more fully, the evidence of unshed tears glistening in her eyes from a small beam of light from the window. "I don't understand how I could find Ava and Nicholas's father in a day, but no one could help me find my parents in twenty-eight years. And...how you made them feel so welcome, and wanted, in just...twenty-four hours with them. They were scared and desperate, but when they were here, they didn't feel that. It was all so easy, and I don't understand...why..."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "Why no one could do that for you?"

"Exactly! It's not like you did anything out of the ordinary, or over the top...you baked with them, and fed them...and just sat down and had pleasant conversation with them. That's not hard!" Emma nearly shouted as she glared daggers at a wall. "It's not hard to treat a kid like a human being instead of a paycheck!"

"Oh, Emma..." Mary Margaret sighed her name as the blonde continued her rant.

"If I had stayed in just _one_ home with _one_ adult like you," Emma shook her head and balled her hands into fists against her blanket. "It would have made all the difference. I wouldn't be like I am today. I wouldn't have gone to jail, I wouldn't have gotten knocked up, and I wouldn't be so...so...angry all the time! If just _one_ person had showed me that people are capable of being kind, and compassionate, and decent—"

"Hey, hey..." Mary Margaret reached out a hand, placing it against Emma's shoulder. "Emma..."

She breathed deeply, collecting herself. "I-I'm sorry, you need to sleep, and I—"

"You need to let it out and keep talking," The shorter-haired woman responded gently, keeping her palm against Emma's skin. "This has been bottling up for a very long time. I don't know if it's going to really help to let it out, but at least you have someone who can listen and try to understand what you've gone through."

Emma was more than tempted to run from the offer. She didn't open up. She didn't talk about feelings. Every time she let down that _damn_ wall she got nothing but hurt. Graham had been a prime example of that.

"I've never _had_ anyone that I could just...talk to." She finally said, honestly as Mary Margaret shifted over completely, patting the newly-created space next to her. Emma blinked hard before climbing up, settling herself against the headboard and spreading her baby blanket over her lap. "Unless you count several periods court-mandated counseling. But I wasn't about to let some stranger into my psyche. I learned to say what they needed to hear to get me out as soon as possible."

Mary Margaret rubbed her wrist, feeling quite empathetic — she knew what it was like to keep silent all that was wighted. "You can talk to me, about anything. I just...I want you to have a place free of judgement and a friend you can trust to not betray you."

Emma bit her lip, willing her tears to remain unshed, finally asking the question that had been plaguing her since the first week in Storybrooke. "Why did you offer me a place to stay?"

Her roommate appeared taken aback at the subject change, blinking quickly and shrugging. "It seemed like the right thing to do."

"To take someone into your house who'd been arrested twice just days before? Who are you, Jesus?" Emma chided in disbelief, earning a hearty laugh from Mary Margaret.

"Not quite. Maybe his little sister. Oh, that's...probably blasphemy, isn't it?" Even Emma had to chuckle at her statement and a light moment passed between them. "In any case...It's like I told you when I picked you up from jail. I...trust you. I don't know why. Part of it is because you're willing to stand up for what is right...and the other part is just the fact that I think you're a genuinely good person. And you needed somebody. If I could be the one to give you what you needed, then I'd do it."

Emma processed this before questioning further. "So, you'd do it for anyone you thought was a good person?"

Mary Margaret shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe, it would depend on the situation. I usually save my spare room for the birth mothers of my favorite forth graders, though."

The blonde laughed again, a little more bitterly before leaning her head between the bars of the bed. "What makes someone a good person? Because I think the record books are against me there. I'd need two more fingers to count the times I've been arrested."

"It depends on what records you look at. The ones that make you a good person probably aren't written down on paper...they're written on people's hearts."

Emma glared with a raised eyebrow in Mary Margaret's direction. "You've lost me."

Mary Margaret explained, "There's a quote on the back of the door in the teacher's lounge at school. It says, 'One Hundred Years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money was in my bank account, or what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a better place because I was important in the life of a child.' In the short time you've been here, Emma, you've made a difference in the life of four children — in a huge way."

"Four?" She raised a brow.

"Well, Nicholas and Ava today...and then Henry, obviously. And if it hadn't been for you, baby Alexandra probably wouldn't be with her mother. And that's just specific kids. You've really made a difference to every man, woman, and child in this town by...standing up against corruption. You're just getting started but I have no doubt you are going to continue improving things around here." Emma flushed and tried not to smile. Mary Margaret nudged her side as she caught this expression. "You _should_ be proud of yourself."

There was silence as Emma contemplated all that had been said before Mary Margaret added, "And you know what? The fact that you didn't have good people in your life? It only made you stronger. You've been able to overcome the fact that there wasn't anyone there to...make you cookies or talk problems out with. Now you're making sure other people don't have to go through what you did."

"I wouldn't want anyone to grow up thinking no one wanted them, no one loved them. It sucks, and...I guess if I hadn't been the one to go through it, there'd be four other kids who would be going through it now." She stretched, letting out a sigh. "That does make me a good person."

Mary Margaret nodded, "Yeah. It does...I'm going to hug you now."

Emma laughed as the other woman embraced her. "I'm over my monthly hug quota. Between Ava, Nicholas, and Henry...Now you? Pretty sure I've had more hugs in the past three days than I have my whole life."

At this, Mary Margaret held her tighter, not wanting to hear such truths. "Oh, Emma. There's no limits when it comes to someone you care about. For anything."

Emma pulled away, her eyes still betraying her exterior, glassy with emotion and exhaustion. Mary Margaret squeezed her hands before smiling softly and requesting, "How about you get some sleep? I'm going to Granny's at quarter after seven, you can join me—"

"That's way too early," Emma groaned, sliding off the bed. "Thanks though...Maybe dinner together tomorrow?"

Mary Margaret repositioned herself against the pillows, teasing, "You cooking?"

Emma scoffed. "Maybe you can show me your ways." With her blanket clutched tightly to her chest, she smirked and bid Mary Margaret goodnight before ascending the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pillow Talk**

**Rating**: T (mild language)

**Summary**: Post-_7:15 a.m._ Emma begs the question, "Why do you like birds so much?"

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><p>Emma shivered as she shut the door to the apartment behind her, soaked to the bone and thoroughly exhausted after spending the day preparing Storybrooke for the storm of the year. The first round had blown in and out in less than an hour the day before, wreaking havoc on the roads. But if the forecaster was to be trusted, tonight would be the worst of it — with wind gusts at near-hurricane speeds. The rain began to pour the moment she'd stepped out of the station; to which she looked up with a resounding, "Really?" Before driving herself home, hoping her seat would be dry by morning.<p>

Mary Margaret caught sight of her dripping water all over the floor and Emma sent a pleading look. "Could you get me some clothes? I'm going straight to the shower and I don't want to make more of a mess than I have to."

"Of course," Her roommate responded, dashing up the stairs as Emma peeled off her soaking jacket, hanging it on the coatrack after moving dry items to other hooks. She stepped out of her rain boots, which did little to keep her feet from getting wet as she stepped onto the soggy floorboards.

"Yuck," She mumbled, tugging off a blue, v-neck shirt, not caring that she was standing in the doorway wearing only a bra.

After rolling her pants up in attempt not to track water all over the floor, Emma tip-toed to the bathroom, starting the water, praying for near-boiling temperatures as she fumbled for a towel, shivering. Mary Margaret appeared moments later, placing a stack of clothes on the counter an asking, "Need anything else?"

"I'm good, thanks," She replied as the shorter woman shut the door. Finally able to remove the rest of her sopping wet clothing, Emma sighed in relief as the hot water sprayed down her back when she stepped into the shower.

Not five minutes after standing mindlessly in the steamy shower, a popping noise filled the apartment and the lights went black as the power went out. "Really?" Emma questioned loudly as a whining, "Why?" filled the kitchen from Mary Margaret.

"Hold on, I'll get a flashlight for you," Mary Margaret called as Emma realized she hadn't actually started washing up yet and began a quick shampoo.

The door cracked open and Emma took a sharp breath at the sudden rush of cool air. Mary Margaret set a flashlight on the counter, streaming up. "Is this okay for you?"

"Yeah," Emma mumbled. "I hate nature."

Mary Margaret giggled and left the room, filling various surfaces of the apartment with candles until she had no more. Emma emerged a few minutes later, wearing pajamas with a towel wrapped around her head. "If there's one thing I hate...well, there's a lot of things I hate...but going to bed with cold, wet hair is one of the worst feelings in the world."

"You could cut it all short and it dries in about ten minutes," Mary Margaret said with a shrug, plugging the kitchen sink before dumping ice cube trays into it and settling a milk jug and carton of eggs in it.

"Eh, not happening," Emma said as a shiver ran down her spine. "I'm not one of the lucky women of the world who can pull off what you've got working."

Mary Margaret said a silent prayer of thanks that she hadn't updated to an electric stove, and turned on the gas burner before lighting a match for hot water. "How come you got home so late?" She asked her roommate, who was fussing with the towel against her blonde locks.

"Getting back-up generators to the hospital and blocking off access to a few roads, stuff that was in some 'emergency weather' book that I doubt was ever used, but...whatever. I followed the procedures so that Regina couldn't yell at me. And I saw—"

A loud clap of thunder startled both of them, causing Emma's heart to race as she nearly fell off the stool she was seated at. "Jesus," She muttered, catching her breath and daring to look up to meet her roommate's dazed expression, "You okay?"

Mary Margaret shook herself of thoughts from the day before, in the cottage, of her and David's near kiss, which was replaced by an actual one hardly twelve hours previous. "Fine...tea or hot chocolate?"

"Chocolate, please," Emma said as she attempted to finger-comb a stubborn knot in her hair before giving up and stomping to the bathroom, knotting her curls at the top of her head, leaving a few strands dangling down.

"You know you're going to regret doing that in the morning," Mary Margaret warned as she pulled down mugs for the coco.

Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes and chide _yes, mom_. Instead, she shivered and ran up the stairs, fumbling around in the dark for a sweatshirt and socks, then dragged a quilt off her mattress, wrapping it around her shoulders before rejoining Mary Margaret at the counter. She stood with a pout, glaring at the kettle, willing it to boil faster as another shiver ran through her.

"You can go in my room if you want," Mary Margaret offered, "I had the space-heater on since six, so it's still considerably warmer—"

She didn't even finish as Emma shuffled across the floor, sitting at the edge of the bed, joined a few minutes later as Mary Margaret set a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. "Thank you," She mumbled, trying to exercise self-control and not chug the piping hot beverage.

Mary Margaret also slugged a blanket over her shoulders, struggling for a moment to keep it in place as she drank. "Now would be the opportune time for a Snuggie."

"Only if you want me to arrest you for a crime against fashion," Emma joked dryly as she stared at her roommates night stand. "Why do you like birds so much?"

The teacher sighed, tilting her head as she pondered it. "I don't know. I guess I always have. They're loyal creatures...you build them a home and treat them with love, and they'll return to you time and time again."

Emma smirked, realizing what her friend had said had a lot more depth then she probably realized. "Kind of like me?" Mary Margaret raised a brow and Emma explained. "Well...you gave me some place to stay, feed me, do my laundry, pack me lunches—"

The brunette laughed and took a sip from her cup. "Well, you are Emma _Swan_."

"Okay, so I get the bird love...but was it really worth the risk of going out in the storm yesterday?"

The windows began to rattle as if on cue, from wind and rain. Mary Margaret shrugged. "Probably not. But...somebody had to do it. All creatures deserve their best chance, don't you think?"

Emma attempted not to gape at her words, trying not to let Henry's crazy seep into her. "Yeah. I guess..." Switching tactics, she came right out and asked, "I'm sure it had nothing to do with a certain employee of the Storybrooke animal center, right?"

Her roommate took a turn to stare in wonder before trying to cover it up. "No...no, not at all. It was the right thing to do. And I'd do it again."

The blonde shrugged and downed the coco, not caring that she likely seared her tongue and wouldn't be able to properly taste anything for a week. "I saw you and David this morning," She confessed quietly, not meeting Mary Margaret's wide eyes. "All I'm going to say is be careful. There're eyes everywhere in this damn town."

The teacher struggled to find words to defend her actions, but came up with none and leaned back, covering her face with her blanket.

Emma sighed and reached a hand out, touching Mary Margaret's shoulder. "I'm not judging you. I want you to be happy. But you need to be smart about this."

"Sometimes I wish Henry was right," She muttered, sitting back up. "And David would be Prince Charming and I'd be Snow White and we'd be living happily ever after in some far away castle, with no ex-wives and evil mayors."

"You said it," Emma responded, watching Mary Margaret's face twist into confusion. "Hey, you'll figure it out. He'll decide what to do about his wife. Maybe you will live happily ever after."

"Oh, there's no happy endings in this world," The woman said bitterly. "It's not designed that way..." With a heavy breath she confessed, "Sometimes I wonder if it would just be easier to get away from it all...go somewhere isolated, where no one can hurt you."

"That sounds lonely," Emma mumbled. "And I'm speaking from experience. Up until Henry brought me here, I was living by myself, all across the country, running when things got hard; never forming real human connections...It sounds nice in theory, but actually living it is something else all together."

Mary Margaret's face relaxed. "And you don't miss the solitude? Not at all?"

"No," The sheriff answered quickly. "I like coming home and having someone to talk to," She confessed without meeting her roommate's eyes. "I like walking Henry to the school bus, and I like driving around town and checking up on people, helping them if I can. I know that now, I could get hurt. You told me to take a few walls down, and I did; and when Graham..." She trailed off, "It still does hurt, but at least I'm not suffering alone."

Rain continued to beat against the windows as the women sat in silence, each contemplating the new and strange situations of their lives. The wind roared over the roof and Emma groaned as she sprawled out on her roommate's bed, "I'm not going to sleep at all tonight."

Mary Margaret nodded. "Me either...I almost actually just asked if you wanted to watch a movie," She said with a laugh. "But obviously not...Do you want a book?"

Emma screwed up her face. "Twelve years of falling between the cracks of the education system kind of burned me into reading only when I have to. You can read to me though," She teased.

Being a teacher, Mary Margaret didn't catch the suggestion as a joke, and shuffled to a bookshelf in the main portion of her apartment, returning with a wide smile and one of her favorite novels. "You'll like this series," She said, "I've probably read it six times over...if not more. And I could read it again and again for the rest of my life. Get comfy!"

Emma grinned and scooted so she was laying up against the headboard. "I was just kidding," She said with a smile in her voice as she curled into a ball, looking at her roommate expectantly. "But I don't think anyone has ever read me a bedtime story, so if you want to be the first..."

Mary Margaret snuggled herself under the covers and opened to chapter one, beginning to read as Emma relaxed, letting her imagination follow the words her roommate spoke.


	3. Chapter 3

**Pillow Talk**

**Rating**: T (language)

**Summary**: Post- _Fruit of the Poisonous Tree_; Mary Margaret comes home to Emma having another breakdown.

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><p>Mary Margaret stood outside her door with her keys dangling in her hands, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth at the sounds of a blaring, angry iPod from inside. Whatever had happened at the city counsel meeting must not have gone according to Emma's plan.<p>

Quietly slipping inside, she hung up her coat and crossed the floorboards to where Emma was sitting on the steps, her speakers presumably in her room as she sat with pieces of a coffee mug laying at her feet. Her eyes moved up sheepishly as Mary Margaret held onto the railing, sending a slightly disapproving look at her roommate, who sighed, bowing her head. "I'll get a new one..." She murmured, barely audible over the screaming of the music.

"It's not the mug I'm worried about," The teacher sighed, pressing a hand to Emma's shoulder. "What happened?"

Emma bit her lip before stomping up the stairs, turning the music off, expecting to be followed. When Mary Margaret didn't join her, Emma poked her head over the balcony of the upper floor, her arms crossed on the railing. "Are you coming up?"

Mary Margaret sent a sad smile up as she placed the broken ceramic pieces of cup into a plastic bag before throwing them away. "I kind of gathered you wanted some space?"

"No, I don't." Emma answered quickly, sending a pleading expression down. Mary Margaret read it with a sad one of her own, preparing to speak before giving in and treading up the stairs.

Emma plopped on the edge of her bed, pulling her baby blanket into her lap, explaining what had happened that day before the other woman even had a chance to situate herself. "Regina wasn't building a second house in the woods. She was preparing to build a new castle. For Henry. And I made a complete fool of myself in front of everyone at the meeting."

"Oh, Emma," Mary Margaret began to sympathize, but the blonde shook her head.

"I'm not done...When it was over, that bitch came up to me...and told me that I no longer have her permission to see Henry. She said if she catches me with him anymore, she'll put a restraining order on me. And what judge in this whole fucking planet wouldn't be all too willing to protect the rights of an adopted parent? I'd never be able to see him again 'till he's eighteen!" Mary Margaret watched as Emma tried to keep her composure, biting her lip and staring at the ceiling. "She said...that I can't see Henry unless she says so. And that it's not something that's open for discussion."

"What are you going to do?" Mary Margaret gently questioned, placing a hand on her roommate's arm, attempting to be comforting without over stepping.

"What can I do? Henry's right. Good loses, because good has to play fair. I tried to be as fair as I could here, and I did step outside the lines...a little, not even...not even doing anything drastic. And I came up empty-handed. The only thing I have against her is a gut instinct that she's a despicable human being, and gut instincts don't hold up very well in court."

Mary Margaret shook her head, eyes soft as she pushed the issue. "Court? Emma, what...what do you mean by court? What is your end goal, here?"

"I don't know," She answered, letting a single tear fall before quickly wiping it away. "I stayed in this town to ensure Henry was okay. I didn't really have a definition of okay then. I wanted him to be happy, to guarantee his safety...But now, I know that neither of those two things can happen so long as he is living with Regina." Emma shook her head. "And I meant what I said a few days ago. I want to show this town who their monster of a mayor really is. With her doing things like building a new playground for all the local kids, that's going to be pretty damn difficult."

Mary Margaret gave Emma a look. "Do you really think she did that for other people's kids? Or even her own? I don't believe that for a minute. She saw that you had a special place with Henry. She didn't have that; so not only did she take it from you, she built a better one. This was not about a child. This was about slapping you in the face."

"Maybe, but how do I prove that? I need something concrete, something with evidence that I can obtain legally in order to prove that she's nothing but an insane witch! I need something that sticks."

"Okay. Okay, we'll find something. She's got years of lying and covering up beneath her, we'll just have to wait for the opportune moment to uncover something. For now, though...I think it'd be wise to take a step away from Regina. Focus on work, making yourself visible doing your job...the right way, around town. If Henry is your number one priority, I think it'd be best to find a way to get back in his life. His happiness is important to you, and you bring him that happiness. I know it."

Emma sniffed. "I need to find something on her, though. It's the best way to ensure she winds up where she belongs. It's the best way to make sure Henry is safe and happy."

Mary Margaret shifted on the bed, facing her roommate fully. "Emma, I need to ask do a very serious question." The blonde made a brief moment of eye-contact, ensuring it was okay to continue. "Do you want custody of Henry?"

"I don't want to be a mom," She confessed, letting another tear fall down her cheek, not bothering to brush it away. "I never wanted to be. I didn't —and don't— know how to be a mother. I don't know the first thing about discipline or how to take care of a kid."

"But..." Mary Margaret begged for more information, knowing Emma needed to realize her feelings for herself before she could prioritize acting on them.

"But I want Henry," She admitted, her shoulders heaving. "I want him away from that bat-shit crazy woman. I want him to know that he is loved and supported, no matter what he believes or thinks or does. Right now, he doesn't have that certainty. He knows that I feel that way about him; but as he learned today, I can't always be there for him. I need a way to always be there. And unless I can put Regina away for a monstrous crime; something like...embezzlement or murder, there's not a judge in the world who would afford me custody. Given my past track-record and present...animosity...there's not a chance in hell."

Mary Margaret tentatively embraced Emma as the blonde whispered, "I'd give up every chance at finding my own mom if I could be Henry's."

"Oh, Emma...I want you to have both," She replied, hugging tighter. "But...Sacrificing your own happy ending for your son's? Emma, that's the very definition of motherhood. You _could_ do it; I know you could. And we will find something on Regina. I don't know if she's ever stolen mass amounts of money or killed anybody; but with someone that heartless, it honestly wouldn't surprise me." She pulled away, meeting Emma's watery eyes with a comforting smile. "We'll figure this out, I promise. You're not going to lose Henry one way or the other." She paused, squeezing Emma's hand before saying, "I'm going to get dinner started."

"I'll be down in a few," She replied as Mary Margaret left down the stairs.

She stood from her bed and moved to one of the dressers; where she'd finally put away a few things after Ava and Nicholas had been placed with their father. The top, however, was reserved for her son — a school picture he'd snagged from the mayor's office and another of the two of them laughing in a booth at Granny's; taken by Mary Margaret after Emma had smeared whipped cream on Henry's cheek. Her walkie talkie lay abandoned in the middle, and next to it a collection of drawings he'd given her over the time she'd known him.

Several minutes later found Emma sliding into one of their barstools, drumming her fingers against the countertop until Mary Margaret gave her a task of slicing carrots. "I have an idea on a way you could still talk to Henry," The brunette said with a wide smile. "Every morning my kids work in their creative writing notebooks. Everything they write in them is considered a rough draft, so I bring them home to look over them before we talk about...global editing and grammar concepts the next day in language arts. At the end of every week, they pick one of their writings, edit it, and type it as a final copy during part of computer time. Their parents never see their rough drafts...just me."

Emma blinked, slicing hard. "Where are you going with this?"

"Well, the last thing Henry needs help with is creative writing, as I'm sure you could guess. I could turn his rough draft notebook into something for the two of you to talk in. You could write him notes in it, and he can reply. I bring them home every night, so you can talk every day...except weekends, of course, but...this way, you'll be able to at least keep up with him without Regina ever finding out. And I'll make sure he still types something up at the end of the week; that shouldn't be a problem for him."

Resisting the urge to tackle her roommate into a hug, Emma nodded, a wide smile on her face. "I'd like that. Thank you."

Mary Margaret swiped carrot pieces from Emma's cutting board before replacing them with a stalk of celery. "I just have the best interests of my student in mind, is all. Though," She smirked, shuffling to the living room to retrieve a blue notebook from her school bag, "I will miss the ending to his latest story. I'm pretty sure it's about you." She winked and passed the notebook along, where Emma immediately started pouring through it, forgetting about the celery.

She smirked when she flipped to October, where a scribble in the top margin read:

_I'm so sorry for taking your credit card. I should have asked first. But the Evil Queen doesn't give me money and I had to find my real mom. I'll make it up to you someday, I promise. - Henry_

Below was a drawing of what she could only gather as herself, Snow White and Henry on some sort of adventure through the woods, with a reply from his teacher at the bottom.

_All is forgiven, Henry. I'm just glad to see your smile back! I hope things work out in the best way for everyone. - Miss Blanchard_

A few days later, Henry wrote in another margin.

_Can I write Henry 'Swan' on my papers? _

Emma sniffed, shaking her head as she read the response:

_I think that would upset the Queen. You know things never go well when she's upset. You should write your legal name on your assignments. But if you want to write 'Henry Swan' in this notebook, you may. I won't tell. - Miss Blanchard _

"This kid is something else," Emma laughed. "Henry Swan?" Somehow, it didn't sound right coming out. "I'd never name my kid Henry."

Mary Margaret finished cutting the vegetables the blonde had neglected, pouring them into a boiling pot on the stove. "And what would you have named him?"

"I'm not sure," Emma answered honestly. She'd never given it much thought — why linger on what couldn't be? "Just not Henry."

_Thanks for letting Emma stay with you! Can I come over to visit? -Henry Swan_

_So long as you're not getting yourself into any trouble with the Queen; my door will always be open for you. - Miss Blanchard._

The next few pages were filled with an elaborate story detailing a ball that would take place after the curse on Storybrooke was lifted. Some of the queen's henchmen were apparently not too happy about her banishment, and had made an attempt to ruin the festivities. But thankfully, sword-wielding Henry and Emma had managed to save the day for everyone, including Emma tackling a knight from behind after he'd made an attempt on Snow White.

"Looks like I'm saving your ass from the bad guys," She commented, earning a giggle from Mary Margaret.

"Oh, come on. Snow White can totally defend herself."

"Hey, take it up with Henry," Emma laughed, standing to locate a pen before turning to the first blank page in the notebook. "What should I write to him first?"

Mary Margaret leaned over the counter, crossing her arms against it. "You could start by clarifying that the distance between you isn't something you want...but...don't encourage him to take it out on Regina. As much as we can enjoy her misery, he still has to live with her and respect her to a point."

"He's a hell of a lot more respectful than I would be," Emma mumbled, tapping the pen against the paper as ideas began formulating. She scrawled on and over a page, ending with 'give 'em hell, kid' before signing her name with a heart. She wasn't quite ready for the 'L' word yet. But she hoped he got the message.

"You know what's weird to me?" Emma started, returning Henry's notebook to Mary Margaret's bag before the shorter of them passed plates and silverware to set the table with. "If Regina wanted something that would love her unconditionally, why adopt a kid? A kid can think for himself and get into all kinds of trouble. If I were so desperate for affection, I'd get a dog. Dogs can't talk back and they can only be resentful for a maximum of five minutes. She's got a long ass road ahead of her dealing with Henry."

Mary Margaret threw her head back in laughter. "Can't you just see her sitting in her office with a little demon lapdog yipping at people when they walk in? She'd probably have a cape on it and everything."

Emma snorted, "Oh no. Regina Mills would have a big, nasty Rottweiler chained to her desk with a spiked collar. She'd probably send it after small children for a snack."

Finally settling in around the table, the two devoured dinner and sat back, still reeling at the idea of Regina with a puppy. "Maybe we should get a dog," Mary Margaret said with a shrug.

"Why, so you can have your friend at the animal shelter help pick the best one?" Emma teased.

Mary Margaret blushed. "Well, he would be the one with the expert opinion, naturally."

"I've never been anywhere long enough to have one. Of my own, anyway. A few of the houses I was in as a kid had dogs. They were all mangey, uncared for mutts who'd do their business all over the place. I thought you liked birds, anyway."

"I do...but, who knows. Everything's changing around here; ever since you decided to stir things up in this town. Maybe it's time to branch out try new things."

Emma nodded. "Maybe...Thanks...for, everything today. I'd probably still be breaking things if you hadn't talked me down...and helped me find a way to check up on my kid."

"You're welcome," Mary Margaret said gently, tapping Emma's shoulder as she stood, moving their plates to the sink. "Want to help with the dishes and then we can read?"

Emma nodded, standing with a smile, sending a thankful note to anything listening for Mary Margaret.


	4. Chapter 4

**Pillow Talk**

**Rating**: T (language)

**Summary**: Post- _Skin Deep_; Emma and Henry spend their half hour together, and Emma confesses a dark secret from that half hour to Mary Margaret.

* * *

><p>The moment Emma and Henry stepped outside, his arms locked around her waist and hers on his shoulders until she crouched to be eye-level with him for a proper hug. His face turned into the crook of her neck and she closed her eyes, relishing the embrace. "I've missed you so much," He confessed, squeezing her tight.<p>

"I miss you, too, Henry."

In the moment before Emma pulled away, a dozen images flashed through her mind; starting with her car, less than ten feet away. How easy it would be to convince Henry to climb in and buckle up, drive them away — across the border, to a remote slum in Southern Mexico. They'd find suitable housing and she'd take up bounty hunting, teaching her son tricks of the trade. The two of them would work together, taking down crime lords and drug runners all over the country; becoming an unstoppable, anonymous team. And at the end of every day, Emma would be sure to tuck Henry into bed, reading him a bedtime story — a thriller or mystery. Their life wouldn't be a fairy tale, but at least they'd have a happy ending.

Shaking her head of such dangerous, tempting thoughts, Emma pulled away, standing to take Henry's hand. "Come on, kid. We don't have much time."

"I knew she'd let me see you soon! I've been really good! I've been doing whatever she tells me to the first time. I think it's working!" He said with a wide smile as they made their way to Granny's. "Unless she's plotting something with Mr. Gold. Which she probably is. But it's okay. I just wanted to see you."

He gripped her hand tighter as they entered the diner, sliding into the same side of a booth, where Ruby hastily took their order. "Did you get a chance to read what I wrote in your journal last night?" Emma asked, her tone soft as not to draw attention to them.

Henry nodded, his smile growing wider by the second as he cast his eyes on their waitress. "I think you're right. Ruby...Red Riding hood. I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner!"

"Well, you told me once that Red and Snow White were friends. Last night, Mary Margaret and Ruby went out together — with Ashley. You did say that Cinderella and Snow knew each other, right?"

"They were from neighboring kingdoms! They went to each other's weddings. And Prince Charming and Prince Thomas were good friends, too. I know!" Henry gasped, his eyes wide, "We should get David and Sean to hang out! Maybe they'll remember something if they're together!" Ruby brought out a sunday with two spoons, setting it between them. Henry smirked up at her, questioning, "Do you like wolves, Ruby?"

She shifted her weight to her right hip, an eyebrow raised. "I can't say I've ever come across one. I've got a little wolf charm in my car, though. He's good luck." She winked and returned to work, causing Henry to smugly take a spoon and shovel ice cream into his mouth.

"Careful, kid. You're glowing."

He plucked the cherry off the top mound of chocolate sauce, biting it before declaring, "Between the two of us, there's no mystery we can't solve."

Emma wrapped an arm around his shoulder, feeling a surge of affection and the rising of the same feelings of kidnapping her own son. How simple it would be to bolt out of Granny's diner, feigning an emergency from the station, and run Henry to her Beetle, pound the accelerator and driving until she ran out of gas, somewhere in New Hampshire. They'd hop on the first red-eye to California, where she had a few allies in the business of false identification. She'd get them passports and certificates of every kind; then take the quickest flight to Australia. Who'd look for them in the Land Down Under?

"Aren't you going to eat?" Henry asked, waking her from the cryptic daydream she'd fallen into.

"Yeah," She answered, shaky as she poked at the desert with a spoon.

Thankfully, Henry carried their conversation as they finished eating, distracting her from the possibility of even considering taking him again. They laughed and teased one another until they were finished and Emma paid, not ready to test Regina just yet by keeping Henry longer than half an hour.

As they walked back down the street, Emma could sense Henry's demeanor changing. When they reached the station, Emma addressed it. "Hey, don't get down, Henry. We got to spend time together today, and even though it wasn't much..." She knelt in front of him, taking both his hands into hers. "Seeing you for just this short half hour? It's been the best part of my entire week. You're the reason I'm here, kid, and I'm going to enjoy every opportunity I have with you. No matter how long or short."

Henry visibly fought back tears as he mumbled, "I wish I didn't have to go back with her. I just want to stay with you."

Emma swallowed hard at the confession and her eyes once again landed on her vehicle. She stood, bit her lip, and fished her keys out of her coat pocket, fiddling with them for a moment before opening the passenger side. Henry stood next to her, peering inside before meeting her worried eyes. She wouldn't ask him to get in, but if he did...

They'd drive out of Storybrooke and straight to Boston. Regina wouldn't think Emma would be dumb enough to go there first, since that's where she last lived, but that's just what would throw her off the trail. They'd wait twelve hours before boarding a train, which would be the least likely mode of transportation Emma would consider; in the Mayor's eyes anyway. They'd ride for an entire day, getting off at the first station after the clock would strike midnight. They'd sleep in a dingy motel, with Henry curled up against Emma's side. In the morning, they'd decide together what they wanted their first adventure to be.

This fast-planned decision was cut short by Henry tugging on Emma's sleeve, shaking his head and hissing, "I can't leave Storybrooke."

Emma was about to reply, but was startled by Regina exiting the station with her usual scowl, which twisted into something horrible as she took note of Henry standing next to Emma's open passenger door. "What are you doing?"

Emma put on a smile and blinked away tears as she looked down at her son, who gave her a desperate expression. "Just telling Henry to look in the center counsel." Her eyes darted to it, then to Henry. "Go on, kid. There's something in there for you."

Tentatively, Henry crawled over, reaching for a wrapped item, which Emma _had_ intended on giving him the next time she saw him. "For me?" Henry asked as he sat in the seat, his legs facing outwards as Emma nodded and he unwrapped it. A smile graced his face as he opened it, washing away the brief moment of fear that Regina knew what Emma wanted to do. "New fairy tales!"

"I know it's not the same version as the ones in your book, but it hasn't turned up yet, and I figured at least you'd have something to read. I'm still looking for it, kid," She said harshly, her eyes locked on the Mayor who rolled her own.

"Thanks, Emma!" Henry hugged her tightly, and Emma hugged back just as hard, bending to his level so he could whisper in her ear, "It's not the right time to go."

She patted his back, letting him know she understood, and Regina quickly whisked him away, without so much as a goodbye to the sheriff.

When they were out of view, Emma slammed her door shut and stormed into the station, knocking over a chair in anger and frustration as she entered her office, throwing herself into her chair and letting out a yell as she grabbed at her hair and stared hard at her desk.

"Somebody's angry." Gold drawled from his cell, causing Emma's neck to snap upwards — in her rage, she'd forgotten she had a prisoner.

"I am not talking to you, Gold," Emma hissed, standing preparation to close her office door, but the clever salesman shook his head, laughing as he moved to the bars.

"A half hour with your son is hardly enough, Ms. Swan. Even I can see that the mayor enjoys dangling him in front of you, teasing with opportunities she never wants you to have. Why don't you do something about it?"

Emma opened and closed her mouth in search of an argument as she shuffled closer to the criminal. "What exactly can I do? That won't put me in a cell right next to you?"

Gold snickered. "Oh, dearie. You're not worried about going to jail. You can't tell me you don't already have several well-thought-out plans on ways to get Henry out of this town?" She didn't respond and Gold knew the answer. "I'm on your side, Sheriff. If you ever need and sort of...assistance...in such a plan...well, I'd be happy to offer my services."

* * *

><p>When Emma arrived home, Mary Margaret was in bed with a light on, but her curtains drawn — a sign she wasn't in the mood for chatting. Emma kicked her boots off and hung up her coat, wringing her hands together as she tried to decide if interrupting to share her predicament would be appropriate. Hoping the teacher would come out on her own, the blonde began rumpling through the kitchen, creating a strange combination of food for dinner.<p>

Not bothering to wash her dishes, Emma slumped up the stairs, where she found Henry's journal and a pile of laundry neatly folded on her bed. She didn't have the heart to read his entry, and instead wrote a quick note about being glad she saw him, completely ignoring the part where she tried to steal him out of the country. After changing into sleepwear, Emma made her way back to the living room, where she tucked Henry's journal into Mary Margaret's bag. Walking past the closed curtains one more time, Emma sighed and entered the bathroom to brush her teeth before attempting to sleep.

As she exited the wash area, she found her roommate's curtains suddenly open and Mary Margaret sitting on the edge of her bed, her arms crossed — but not in an unfriendly gesture. "Emma," She called softly as the sheriff padded across the hardwood floor.

Emma crossed her own arms, but in a defensive way as she sat next to Mary Margaret, not wanting to have the conversation — but knowing her own sanity required her to tell somebody what she'd thought about doing that afternoon.

"I—I think it's a good thing that I don't see Henry for awhile," She started, eyes glued to the wall.

Mary Margaret tilted her head. "Now, don't give into that evil woman—"

"She let me see him today," Emma interrupted. "For a half hour, while she talked to Gold. I took him to Granny's for ice cream...and we talked about all kinds of things, and he was _so_ happy. Before she took him home, he gave me a huge hug and I gave him the book we got last weekend."

She was quiet for a few moments, where Mary Margaret filled in, "And it's too painful to be around him not knowing when you'll see him next? Believe me, I get that, but—"

"No, no..." Emma took a shaky breath. "I tried to run away with him. Three times throughout the half hour I had with him, I thought about different ways to get him the hell out of Storybrooke."

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to speak, but Emma shook her head. "I know it might be normal to think that way, but it doesn't make it okay. The third time that I thought about it...We had just gotten back to the station. He said something about not wanting to go back with Regina. I...I opened my passenger door, and he stood next to me...and we just looked at each other for a minute...and we were both trying not to cry and then he went all 'curse' on me and said he couldn't leave Storybrooke, and before I had time to tell him that he could, Regina came out and...It was all over."

"Oh, Emma..." Mary Margaret sighed. "I don't...I don't know what to say. That's...obviously not good. You know full well that would be kidnapping, no matter if you're his birth mother and he wanted to go with you."

"I know," Emma replied, holding in a sob. "I know. I...It was all so perfect in that one moment. We'd be in route to San Francisco right now. If it weren't for the damn curse, we'd be—"

The teacher cleared her throat, placing a heavy hand on Emma's leg. "Really, Emma? No, if it weren't for the curse, you'd be in _jail_ right now. Do you really think you could get away with it? Regina—"

"I know I could get away with it!" The blonde suddenly yelled, standing and pacing, her rationale having gone from a mild justification of her thoughts to wishing she'd gone through with them. "This is my territory. Running away is my thing. I know what to do, where to go, how to hide! You don't think I'd double my caution if I had Henry with me? We'd get fake identification and go to Mexico and we'd find a nice place to live in a crowded city and I'd teach him how to hunt people down and we'd take down criminals and—"

"Emma!" Mary Margaret raised her voice in a way her roommate had never heard, causing her to stop rambling and eyes to widen as she caught her breath and let the other woman guide her back to sitting on the bed. "Do you hear yourself? You sound like a madwoman, and I'm not saying that to be funny. What you're saying is genuinely concerning. You...you can't think like that."

"I can't help it!" She cried, her own volume increasing dramatically as she tried to stand again, but found herself pinned by Mary Margaret's strong hold on her arms. "If he hadn't been concerned about the curse bullshit, we'd be gone and—"

The teacher interrupted again, her eyes fixed and dark. "No, no thank God for the curse! Because if Henry had gone with you...can you imagine?"

Emma's eyes were wild as she tried to convey her point; with however much sense it failed to make. "Yes! That's what I'm saying! Regina isn't the only one capable of providing him with what he needs. I'll find him a house, maybe not as fancy as hers, but I'll keep him safe! And not only will I be able to take care of him physically, but he'll be _happy_ with me. You know he will! And once we're out of Storybrooke, I'm sure the whole curse thing will blow over, and he'll be mentally stable and—"

Mary Margaret shook her head and stood in front of Emma, keeping her grip on the blonde's arms. "You're talking in the future tense as if it's actually going to happen, Emma. I think you're worked up and hysterical right now...and you're not thinking clearly. I think you'll be in a much better place if you sleep and...Well, you're right about one thing, though. It might be best if you don't see Henry for awhile."

Emma tore out of the hold her roommate had on her and stormed out of the room, pulling on her boots and coat before leaving the apartment. Mary Margaret took a few deep breaths, trying to figure out how she could have better handled the situation. After few minutes of evaluation, a dark thought circled the brunette's mind and she gasped before tugging on her own shoes and coat, grabbing her car keys, praying Emma hadn't gotten far.

Noting the yellow Bug wasn't in the driveway, Mary Margaret swore and looked both ways down the street for any sign of her roommate, biting her lip nervously when there wasn't one. Peeling out of the driveway in her beat-up jeep, the teacher made her way to the place of her first concern.

She didn't want to do this — but it was the best way to guarantee Emma hadn't done anything completely irrational. After pulling up next to the Mayor's elaborate home, she quickly climbed out of her vehicle and half-ran to the door, pounding enthusiastically, trying to conjure a reasonable explanation for her presence.

To her relief, Henry answered the door, a confused smile on his face. "Miss Blanchard? What are you doing here?"

Her heart-rate declined as she looked around the hallway for any sign of Regina before pulling the boy into a quick hug, whispering, "Just making sure _you're_ still here." She released him and gave him a serious expression which he seemed to understand. "We'll talk about it tomorrow, alright? I've...I've got to find your mother."

"She's right here, Miss Blanchard. And she doesn't appreciate you insinuating that someone else might be."

Mary Margaret swallowed hard, nodding. "Right. Sorry...Um...I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow, Henry," She said awkwardly, turning to walk briskly to her car, praying the mayor wouldn't follow.

Unfortunately the taller woman wouldn't give up so easily, and she cornered the teacher into the passenger's side door, where Mary Margaret pressed her lips together and waited for a verbal berating about her irresponsibility and inability to do anything right.

"I don't know what is going on with you and your roommate, but you have my word that if anything should happen to _my_ son in the next twenty-four hours, I will be holding you accountable for conspiring against him. Do you understand?"

Mary Margaret gave a quick nod before walking around her car, tearing off down the street with a heavy sigh, unsure if she should continue her search or let Emma come home on her own.

She drove around Storybrooke for the better part of an hour — checking the police station, Granny's diner, even Graham's burial site, and driving up and down streets before she was prepared to give up. Just as she was about to head home, Mary Margaret made one last search attempt.

Parking a distance away, Mary Margaret walked briskly to the shore near the site of Henry's former castle, where as she suspected, Emma was sitting on a large rock, the wind blowing her curls.

Making sure the blonde felt her presence before startling her, Mary Margaret took a seat next to her, pulling her hands into her lap, wishing she'd brought gloves. "Emma, it's freezing. How've you been sitting here for an hour?"

The sheriff was unresponsive as she stared over the water, where the tide was splashing against the rocky shore, not too far from their bodies. They were quiet for a few minutes, Mary Margaret not wanting to push her roommate's buttons. Finally feeling the need to speak, the teacher apologized. "I'm sorry I spoke so harshly to you earlier. That was uncalled for; you're not one of my kids, you're an adult and—"

"I deserved it," Emma mumbled, looking down at her criss-crossed legs, playing with her fingertips. "How did you find me out here, anyway?"

Mary Margaret shrugged. "I know you, I guess. You can't hide form me," She teased lightly, nudging Emma's arm with her elbow.

"It'd take hours or days for the police to find me when I'd run away, when I was a kid. And...since I've gotten older, I thought I got better at hiding. But maybe I just never had anyone who cared enough to find me."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "Well, you've got someone who cares now. Someone who will always find you. I'm sure it's made you uncomfortable to tear down your walls far enough to let me in on that level, but...I think it's good for you. Everyone needs somebody who'd go through hell and high water to ensure they are alright."

Emma finally looked tearily at her roommate, looking utterly exhausted. Making a mature decision, she stated, "I'm sorry. I was acting crazy. I'm not going to try and take Henry. Not tonight, and not ever. Not unless a court gives me custody."

Mary Margaret pulled one of Emma's cold hands into her own. "Promise?"

The blonde smiled weakly, squeezing them together. "Promise."

The teacher stood up, a little wobbly on the rock before finding her balance, reaching her hand down to Emma, who accepted it and followed her to the jeep, where Emma got into the passenger seat. Mary Margaret raised a brow. "Your car wasn't in the driveway...I thought you drove?"

The blonde shrugged. "It's at the station...I ran — I was angry. You can get anywhere when you're mad."

They drove in near-silence, just the sound of Emma rubbing her hands together broke the still of the ten-minute drive. When were back in the apartment and out of winter wear, Mary Margaret guided her friend to her bedroom, warming up mugs for coco in the microwave, not wanting to stay up much longer than necessary to make it with precision.

Emma accepted a cup with a nod, drinking greedily to warm herself up while Mary Margaret suggested, "How about one chapter of our story and then bed, hm?"

The sheriff whined, "But we're almost to the end of the first book! Can we finish it?"

Mary Margaret shot her a look, smirking as Emma mock-pouted. "Okay. But when you're tired in the morning, don't blame me."

Emma scooted to the head of the bed, placing her empty mug on a dresser before resting her head against a stack of pillows and pulling her roommate's blankets over her still-chilled body. Mary Margaret settled in next to her, clearing her throat before beginning, "Chapter fifteen..." Hardly three pages in, she glanced to her right, shaking her head with a smile before closing the book at the sight of Emma already sound asleep, nestled in a mound of blankets. Deciding it wasn't worth waking her up to move after the night they'd had, Mary Margaret placed their novel on the nightstand and took one last look at Emma, brushing hair out of her face before turning out the light.

* * *

><p><em>Have we had enough motherly Mary Margaret? NEVER.<em>


	5. Chapter 5

**Pillow Talk**

Post- _Red Handed_; Snow and Red escape the mountain side and Mary Margaret figures out why Emma's so irritated with having a guest staying at their apartment.

I haven't written post-ep's for 1.13 or 1.14; I wasn't really inspired by either to write anything. The end of 1.13 was exactly what I would have done for Mary Margaret and Emma. Continuing it wouldn't make sense since obviously Emma didn't stay with Mary Margaret all night; other wise she'd have an alibi that Mary Margaret could not have committed a crime against Kathryn. As for 1.14, I'm pretending like that episode doesn't exist..._cough cough_...I mean, there hasn't been any movement of time between 1.14 and 1.15 so it wouldn't make sense that Emma and Mary Margaret could have spent time together.

Also, this is the first time I'm adding FTL to the post-ep. I'm kind of obsessed with Red and Snow's friendship. That said, this goes back and forth between Storybrooke and FTL, and includes Ruby in the Mary Margaret and Emma bonding.

* * *

><p>They were silent as they hurried down the mountain, Red in a daze and Snow trying to find a path in the unfamiliar territory by moonlight. They were moving on adrenaline alone — pushing forward despite the trauma and cold, not speaking, only moving, faster until the cries of the mob disappeared. Even then, the two young women didn't stop. They fled to the base of the mountain that Red had called home her entire life, and with one fleeting look back, the two pressed onward into the opposite side of the forest from whence Snow had come.<p>

Only when dawn broke did Snow and Red dare to still their flight; both collapsing near a stream, breathing deeply before Red's eyes widened and she began retching.

Snow's sympathetic expression replaced her desperate one, and shrugging off her cape, she pulled Red's hood off, holding her hair back with one hand and rubbed her back with the other, whispering shushing nonsense in attempt to calm the werewolf.

The vomiting stopped, but Red couldn't catch her breath as she continued to let the hysteria take over. Snow bit her lip, unsure of how to care for her friend, but did all she could to try and ease her burden. "Red, we're going to be okay. We're going to find you someplace safe to stay and we're going to stick together and—"

"Mary!" She managed to utter, her face frantic, "I killed him! I killed him!"

Snow sat back against a large tree and pulled Red into her arms, letting the cloaked girl sob heavily onto her shoulder. Fighting back her own tears of guilt for ever suggesting to Red that she run away, Snow held her new friend tightly, stroking her hair until the choked cries turned into sniffles. Before long, Red had fallen asleep in her misery and carefully, Snow maneuvered her until she was free to stand.

Kicking herself for not having prepared a pack of supplies at Granny's home, Snow tiptoed to the stream, drinking from her hand as she tried to decide what to do. If the woods she'd been in were unfamiliar after three weeks of wandering through them; her new location had her at a complete loss. She'd no idea where she was or how to navigate; and with the early winter weather causing her namesake to have fallen, she had no idea where to find a path or any sort of eatable vegetation.

"Darn it all," She muttered, reaching into her one satchel within her robes. Her fingers curled around a thin reed, and she clutched it tightly to her chest, debating whether she was in enough danger to warrant a call to her first savior of the woods. Eyeing Red, who's face was the color of her name in distress, Snow raised the mock-whistle to her lips, blowing three times; though she could hear no noise. Red twitched in her sleep, but didn't awaken. Snow knew that if they were going to survive in the woods and Red survive herself, they'd need the guidance of someone who knew the forest backward and forward and inside out.

After nearly an hour, Snow began to doubt if help was coming. Entertaining herself by untangling days-old braids in her hair, the former princess nearly shrieked when a wolf landed in front of her, siting at attention. "What...you're..." She breathed deeply, praying the creature wouldn't attack and that Red would stay sleeping lest be traumatized, Snow stood up, and the wolf bowed. "I...Are you...the huntsman's pet?" The wolf let out a low growl, and Snow dared to extend a hand towards it, "Maybe not pet...companion, perhaps? Where is your friend? I really need his help."

The wolf let out another grumble and Snow sighed, resting her palm on its back. "I wish I could understand you—"

"He said his master never returned after going to the castle." Snow whipped her head around to find Red sitting up, her knees drawn to her chest as she stared blankly at the beast.

"The huntsman...did the queen kill him?" Snow whispered, her eyes brimming with tears as the wolf made more noise.

"He doesn't know," Red interrupted, causing Snow to shudder.

The wolf stepped forward, nuzzling his face against Red's legs, earning a small smile from the girl who reached out a hesitant hand to stroke the wolf's fur. "How come you're not bloodthirsty?" The grey creature rumbled a growl Red understood, wrapping an arm around him as he sat.

In the stillness, Red felt the trauma of the night before seep into her and she let out a loud cry before covering her mouth. Snow rushed to her side, hugging her tightly. "Come on, Red. Let's get some sleep, okay? We're both exhausted, physically and emotionally. We'll rest and perhaps our friend can help us find dinner when we wake?"

The wolf bowed its head, howling lightly in response. Red wiped a tear and cried into a smile. "He'll help us hunt. And watch over us while we sleep."

"Thank you, friend," Snow yawned, reaching for her cloak and spreading it on the ground, laying down and pulling Red next to her. Red kept hers on, but stretched it out over the two of them. A few tears trickled down her cheeks as she tried to compose herself for sleeping, and Snow took the moment to pull her friend close, holding her tight in attempt to comfort her.

* * *

><p>Emma's body language said more than she needed to verbalize as Mary Margaret led Ruby to her apartment. Her defeated stance and uncharacteristic, shuffled stride caused Mary Margaret to turn around and raise a brow at her roommate. Emma didn't notice, but the teacher made a mental note to question her about the sudden change in attitude.<p>

Ruby chatted animatedly about safe topics while they made their way home; Mary Margaret nodding or commenting when appropriate, but Emma remaining suspiciously silent.

When they finally made their way inside, Emma was first to have her keys out and jimmy them into the door, throwing it open and shrugging off her coat before sprinting up the steps to her bedroom.

Ruby opened her mouth to question what had just happened, but Mary Margaret shook her head, unbuttoning her coat and taking off her hat. "Just give her a few minutes."

"Okay," The former waitress stood awkwardly in the middle of the floor, rocking back and forth in her boots.

"I'm going to whip something up to eat. Any requests?"

Ruby shrugged and followed Mary Margaret to the kitchen area, making herself comfortable on one of the stools. "I eat pretty much anything," She responded.

A loud thud caused both the women's attention to turn towards the ceiling, and Mary Margaret gave a little sigh before pulling out a skillet, suggesting breakfast for dinner. Ruby offered to help, and the two began mixing batter for pancakes. A second thud rumbled across the upstairs floorboards before Emma appeared on the staircase and dashed to the bathroom without acknowledging the cooks.

"Is she okay?" Ruby mumbled, a pointed brow raised. Mary Margaret bit her lip, trying to place the sudden mood swing of her roommate, but had no answer to give as she left the wash area and dashed back upstairs.

They ignored the situation and Ruby asked about Mary Margaret's fourth graders, changing the topic to a recent science project that had caused a major mess in the classroom, earning giggles from both women. As the batter was mixed and pancakes poured and flipped, Mary Margaret left Ruby in charge of flipping the final ones. "I'm going to see if Emma's going to be joining us for dinner," She muttered, silently ascending her staircase. "Hey," She said quietly, stepping into Emma's domain, where the blonde was lying on her stomach in bed with headphones on and a file spread across the quilt. Emma took one earbud out and raised a brow. "We made pancakes. I know you're hungry, so why don't you join us?"

Emma scoffed and sat up, not talking as she folded the paperwork back together and turned off her music, following the teacher without a word. "All set!" Ruby announced as she placed the pancakes on the table, taking a seat. Emma paused in the middle of the floor, glaring at the former waitress, which did not go unnoticed by Mary Margaret. Pressing her lips together, Emma willed herself forward and sat at the end of the table, stuffing her face at a near-alarming rate. "You know, the diner does deliver if you ever get hauled up in the office for too long without food," Ruby teased, earning another glare. She didn't bother defending herself as Mary Margaret started a fresh conversation, attempting to entice Emma into talking.

When Emma was done, she put her dishes in the sink and was about to trudge back upstairs when Mary Margaret called her. "Could you sit down so we can discuss sleeping arrangements?"

"I-I...What's wrong with the couch?" She finally stated, crossing her arms and standing defensively behind the chair she'd been sitting in.

Mary Margaret tilted her head. "Have you sat on that old thing?" Emma shrugged. "No, I wouldn't subject an animal to sleep on that sofa, let alone Ruby. I was thinking that you could stay with me and she could stay in your room, just for tonight — since you've slept in my bed before."

Emma stared hard at her roommate, keeping her breathing steady and finally shrugged. "Whatever," She mumbled and Ruby glanced at the side, feeling significantly awkward as the roommates shared some sort of disgruntlement over the sake of her comfort. "I'm going upstairs. Kick me out when you're going to bed."

* * *

><p>Two days after escaping the mountainside, Snow and Red had found themselves a cave which at the very least, offered protection from the cold. With their new furry friend having yet to leave their side, they'd caught enough wild rabbits to eat for several days; and even discovered winterberries which the wolf insisted his former companion had eaten safely.<p>

After having successfully created fire and making themselves comfortable with the only clothing they had, the fugitives began planning their survival techniques until they could find a more suitable location. Deciding that stealing for the sake of survival was hardly a crime, especially if they could take from the Queen, they'd do it.

Staking out several traveling routes that Snow was familiar with, the two sat high in the trees, looming tension over Red's other half still a sore topic between them. In attempt to lighten the mood, Snow asked, "So how long did you live with your Granny?"

"Almost my entire life," Red shrugged. "I remember my mom being around for only the littlest while...but..." She sighed, tugging at a seam in her cloak. "I wish I'd gotten to spend more time around her. Get to know her. What about you? How long was the Queen your stepmother?"

Snow bit her lip. "A long time. I don't know...ten, fifteen years, maybe? My mother died when I was born, so...I never got to know her. I had some wonderful nurses when I was little though. They took very good care of me. My father, too. He was the kindest, gentlest man in the whole kingdom. I loved him, so much..." She sniffed, rubbing under her nose as memories from the weeks before washed over her.

Red leaned back against the bark of the tree from the limb they were sitting on, making an exasperated noise as she considered their lives. "Look at us, motherless fugitives. Where do you think we'd be today, if our mothers had brought us up?"

Snow smirked. "Somewhere safe."

The simple response nearly made Red choke on a sob. "It's not fair. None of this. None of this is fair!" She shouted, slamming her arm against the tree.

"Red," Snow said gently, reaching a hand out to take her friend's in her own, "I know. It's not. But...there's nothing we can do about it. Not now. Now we just need to focus on surviving. Let them see, from wherever they're watching us from, that we are fighters. That we're not going to take these challenges lying down. We're going to get out of here; go somewhere isolated where no one can hurt us."

"I don't want to be isolated," Red muttered, her eyes cast to the path below.

"Well, you won't be." Snow swallowed, keeping her smile painted on. "You'll have me. We can do this. We've already made it two days, and we're going to make it another two and —"

"Snow," Red scoffed. "Do you really want to be alone?"

* * *

><p>Emma descended the staircase with a pair of pajamas in her hands, clearly stretched out over a hidden object. Ruby and Mary Margaret pretended not to notice as the blonde snuck into Mary Margaret's room to change and put away whatever it was she had. She turned off a light and drew back a quilt, settling herself into bed. Ruby stood from the counter, where she'd been pouring over a map of the country, trying to decide what sort of climate she'd like to live in. Clearing her throat, she bid her goodnight to the apartment owner, who nodded and patted her shoulder as she prepared to interrogate her roommate.<p>

Already in sleeping attire, Mary Margaret pulled back her comforter and sat up against her pillows, placing a hand against Emma's shoulder. "Thanks for letting Ruby sleep in your room—"

"You didn't exactly give me a choice," Emma responded coldly, not turning over.

"I know, but...You and I are closer than I am with her, so...it's just more comfortable for everyone if she stays up there."

Emma scoffed and curled her arm around something, raising Mary Margaret's suspicious level. "Come on, Emma. Talk to me. Tell me what's going on. Why are you so angry? You were the one worried about me before we ran into Ruby and now—"

"Please, don't," She snapped,

Mary Margaret raised a brow. "Is that...your baby blanket? You told me you only sleep with it when you're really upset. Come on, let's work through it. Why does it upset you so much to have Ruby here, hm? I know you don't _hate_ her."

Emma couldn't answer at first as a lump rose to the back of her throat. Swallowing hard and taking a shaky breath, she quietly confessed, "I told you I wasn't the roommate type."

"That's not true," Mary Margaret sighed and attempted to tug Emma closer, but the blonde shrugged her off.

"Ruby's going to be a much better choice," She muttered and the attitude finally made sense to the teacher.

"_Emma_," She forced her to roll over this time, her expression serious but eyes full of compassion, "I am not going to replace you."

"You don't know that. What if you like Ruby better than me? What if she's easier to live with? What—"

"She's just staying until she figures out where else to go. This isn't a permanent arrangement; she might be gone tomorrow if she decides on a place. Believe me, I'm not trying to kick you out or make you feel unwanted. I like living with you."

The sheriff scoffed and clutched her knitted blanket. "You might tolerate me, but you don't like living with me...I break things, I've got a bad attitude and I'm not very helpful and it's just a matter of time before you can't take it anymore and then Ruby will have my room and—"

"No, no, no...That's not true. You've been a great friend. Someone I can talk to and lean on and...I hope I've been the same for you. I know it's not been an easy transition, but if I've ever made you feel unwelcome, I'm sorry. That was never my intention. And tonight, I just didn't want to see Ruby out on the street. She needed a place to stay. For a few days, while she figures things out. I'm not replacing you."

Emma sniffed, her eyes cast toward the ceiling. "Everyone always does. Foster families. Group homes. People I thought were my friends...landlords, everyone. Everyone always replaces me. It's only a matter of time before you do too."

Mary Margaret shook her head. "Hey, Emma...I'm not like other people you've lived with in the past, okay? People can be so cruel and heartless, but not everyone is like that. I'm not like that. I'm not going to replace you. I promise." Emma's eyes snapped upwards. "And I don't make promises I don't intend on keeping."

* * *

><p>Snow couldn't answer Red honestly. She did not want to be alone. But she didn't want to die, either. And as long as she was living within the same region as someone who could turn her into the Queen, she was doomed.<p>

"Red, we have to be realistic. If we want to survive, we need to be safe. Find somewhere where people can't hurt us. I won't hurt you, and you won't hurt me. We'll help each other; become best friends — practically sisters. It's not ideal, but it's what we have to do."

Red didn't reply and Snow sighed, brushing dirt from her outermost skirt. "I guess I'm just afraid of dying. I want to beat her, and the only way to do that is to run away."

"Or you could kill her," Red shrugged and Snow baffled at her friend.

"I don't have it in me to kill someone. Even as heartless and manipulative and wicked as the Queen. I could never do that. I don't have it in me to be so cruel. I just want to find somewhere safe. Somewhere away from her. And who knows what will happen along the way? Maybe I'll find someone else who is running, too. And we could make our own little family, in whatever strange way we could. Maybe they'll need protection and that can be my purpose in life. Maybe I won't be alone forever, Red. I just want to be somewhere safe."

* * *

><p>Mary Margaret tilted Emma's chin, causing their similarly-hued eyes to meet. "You're safe here, Emma. I hope you know that. I want you to live here with me. I lived alone for so long, and now I'm so happy I have you here with me."<p>

Emma finally cracked a smile and leaned into her roommate, muttering, "I'm happy to be here. Thanks for...just thanks."

Mary Margaret wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled back brightly. "You're welcome, Emma."

In the morning, Emma woke up first, stretching catlike as she sat up. She blinked and stared at her still-sleeping roommate who looked more peaceful in her sleep than Emma had ever been in her entire life. With a gentle hand, she shook Mary Margaret's shoulder, waking her. Even bleary-eyed and confused, she still maintained a strange aura around her which Emma could only describe as princess-like. "It's six. I'm going upstairs to get clothes."

"'Kay," The teacher responded, rolling over herself to get up.

Emma carried her baby blanket back to her room — Mary Margaret hadn't been quite right the night before. She was upset, but she mostly just didn't want Ruby touching her prized possession. Trying to be quiet as possible, the sheriff pulled out an outfit for the day after setting the blanket on the edge of her bed to fold it into a drawer.

"'Time 'sit?" Ruby mumbled as she sat up half-way, squinting.

Emma turned with a cringe. "Sorry, I was trying to be quiet. It's six in the morning."

"Ungh," The girl groaned, rubbing her eyes before sitting up all the way. "It's okay. I need to try and find either somewhere to go or a new job. Too bad I suck at decision making." Emma was about to cry bullshit, but Ruby's attention fell to the blanket before she could. "Aw, is this your blankie?" Emma flushed but Ruby quickly corrected her intention, "No, I was just going to say that I still have mine, too," She laughed, pulling out an eerily similar, knitted blanket. "Granny made it for me, like...before I was even born. Must have been a popular knitting pattern in the eighties."

Emma swallowed hard, nodding as she noted both cream-hued blankets had a thick, colored ribbon woven through the outer layer; though Ruby's was red and didn't have her name embroidered into it. "Must have."

"It's probably sad that I can't sleep without it but...security is security right? I like to wrap it around myself and over my head when I fall asleep. It makes me feel like nothing can hurt me. I know, it's stupid, but—"

Emma interrupted. "No, it's not...I, um...I'm going to...get dressed."

Ruby shrugged as Emma left the room, noting the stitching between the blankets as identical. Shaking it off as a coincidence, the former waitress stretched and dug through her suitcase to get ready for the day.


End file.
